Is there a Short-Haired Cocker Spaniel?

[Phyllis Thompson]

I just recently acquired the cutest half-grown pup from the
local Cocker Spaniel Rescue group. We believe the pup is a
cocker spaniel mix, but in the past week 2 or 3 people have
told me they think it could be a "short-haired cocker"--one
person says she currently owns one, and another person says
he used to own one. Each got his/hers from a breeder (who
may or may not have been the same person, for all I know).

I never heard of a short-haired cocker before. Is there
really such a thing?

For the record:
The pup has a cocker face and ears, but has a longer (and
thinner) body and legs than a "true" cocker. The hair on
the back and sides is short and somewhat coarse. The hair
on the chest is also coarse, but is long and feathery. The
color is overall a near-white with medium-to-light brown
markings--brown ears, brown freckles on the muzzle, two
large brown patches/spots on one side of her body, several
tiny light brown markings in general. Dark brown/black nose with 2
pink spots on the front. Some guesses that have been made as
to her makeup are: cocker/terrier; cocker/springer;
cocker/brittany; cocker/field spaniel--and of course,
short-haired cocker.

[Mark Anderson]

There are two cocker breeds. One is the American Cocker Spaniel, and the
other is the English cocker Spaniel. The English is a bit taller and
longer than the American, but as far as I know, they both have long
hair (unless clipped).
The English cocker can have spots on their coats. I believe that
the term is roan.
Ann

--
Mark Anderson
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
email: ma...@chem.queensu.ca

[KLMF]

Because of the extreme popularity of the American Cocker Spaniel, folks
lookin' to make a buck have bred them every which way. The type ranges
from the very refined, short muzzled, compact, and heavily coated show
type to the very old fashioned (pre-1950's), longer muzzled, shorter
coated type (this is quite common, and is the type most found in the few
working lines still being bred), to the original long and low type (the
latter being typical back at the turn of the century). The English Cocker
and the old fashioned American Cocker were very very similar, the primary
difference was the rounder, larger eye on the American Cocker. Also,
earset is a little different, muzzle a little shorter, and the American
dog was, and still is, supposed to be an inch shorter. Both the English
and the American should be well boned, big ribbed, and compactly built.
The American has much more hair today than it did years ago, and the head
is now very very different..

As far as amount of coat, I have seen both varieties of Cockers have
sparse and/or short coats, but both still have furnishings on the legs,
ears, chest, and belly. There is no such thing as a "short coated"
Cocker. Not a purebred, anyway!

--
Karen F.

[Phyllis Thompson]

What I really want to know is, IS THERE such a breed as "Short-Haired
Cocker Spaniel", or have these other people been led down the garden
path by some unscrupulous breeder?

Thanks, Phyllis